The treatment of schizophrenia: a patient's perspective

The author chronicles her 20-year battle with schizophrenia and her growing acceptance of her illness. She has committed herself to leading the fullest life her disease will allow and to educating others about mental illness. While she does not deny that hospitals have their place in the treatment and stabilization of acute psychiatric problems, she believes community-based residential treatment programs are most successful in promoting long-term gains because they provide a protected yet flexible environment in which to build confidence and social skills. She believes mentally ill individuals need to be educated about their illnesses and require appropriate supportive psychotherapy, pharmacotherapy, access to support groups, and structured activities, such as working, attending school, and training for a job. She describes her own strategies for preventing relapse.